Sol Inter Umbrae
by Renakazama
Summary: IeyasuxMitsunari and IeyasuxOichi fic, non-Sengoku, yakuza-style story. Also contains other pairings, KeijixMagoichi, FuumaxTsuruhime, DatexSanada. Forgive my bad English.
1. Broken

_**It was Ichi's fault.**_

_**Everything is Ichi's fault.**_

_**And there's nothing Ichi can do about it.**_

_**Sorry.**_

_**Sorry.**_

_**So sorry.**_

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 9<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_00:04 AM_

* * *

><p>It was raining, and the temperature dropped harshly.<p>

A slim figure appeared from the dark, swayed through the empty streets.

A young woman limped—dragging her withered body.

Her black eyes emitted deep emptiness—it's like her soul was entirely vanished.

The woman wore a black sweater and a crimson skirt, and apparently she lost one of her boots.

She ignored everything—including her soaked body, shaking from the bitter cold air.

Despite her rugged condition, she kept walking like a broken toy robot.

She looked up to the sky—watching the silver full moon rose on the heavens' zenith, and breathed heavily.

"Yami-iro-san is shining beautifully tonight," she whispered—brushing her wet long, black hair.

The rain was getting harder, and she giggled—laughed uncontrollably.

"_Nii-sama…Nii-sama, look…Ichi worked hard. Ichi worked hard…than anyone else…"_

She continued to walk slowly across the street, while laughing and chuckling all the way.

"_Ichi is a good girl…Ichi is a good, good girl…ahahaha…"_

The raven-haired woman slipped her foot, and stumbled to the ground.

She still laughing, giggling like crazy.

" _Don't leave Ichi alone here…Ichi would surely die in sorrow…"_

Slowly, she lost her consciousness by the freezing air trapped her—and the downpour hitting from the sky.

"…_it's no use. Ichi is always alone. Ichi will die here—alone."_

Not long after she fell and soaked into a muddy puddle, a footstep approached her.

It was slow at first, but it's getting faster and faster.

By her foggy eyes, she saw a pair of legs coming—rushed onto her, splashing the water everywhere.

"Hey, are you okay?"

It was a young man—with a yellow jacket, crouched and examined the girl's livid body.

His eyes widened in shock, after finding the woman's identity.

"Are you…Oichi-dono? Why are you in this state?" he said, taking his jacket off and covered her body with it.

The black-haired woman giggled.

"Why, you are so warm…" she whispered—weakly, "You're so kind…just like the sunlight. Look, the sun shines in the middle of the night…so pretty…"

The man furrowed his eyebrows, unable to understand the girl's muttering.

"Anyways, you can't stay outside like this. You're completely drenched. C'mon, I'll escort you to the Oda's residence," said him.

"NO!" the girl barked, "ICHI DON'T WANT TO GO HOME!"

"Oichi-dono? Why? Your brother will get angry if you keep acting like this," stuttered the man, holding her hands to his grip.

The raven-haired girl laughed insanely, "Ichi is a good girl. Nii-sama won't get angry to her. Because…you see, Ichi is a good, good girl! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…!"

After she finished laughing, she fell unconscious—in the man's arms.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 9<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_10:08 AM_

* * *

><p>"I see. Good job on the report."<p>

The yellow-jacket man—now wearing a _kamishimo—_formal _kimono—_instructed his men to leave from his office.

He sighed, and rested his stiff shoulders on a chair.

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard.

"Excuse me, Tokugawa—this is Saika," said a woman's voice behind the door.

"Oh, please come in, Saika-san," replied the man—a bit startled.

The door opened, and a redheaded woman entered the room.

"So, I've heard about _that girl_ last night," said Saika, "She's in your residence, by now—I presume?"

The man—Tokugawa Ieyasu—raised his eyebrows.

"Your information network really is marvelous. You knew it already?" said Ieyasu, amazed.

"Not really. I just heard the headlines. So, could you please tell me about what really happened last night?" answered her.

Ieyasu raised a bitter smile—and his expression turned serious.

"To tell you the truth," he started to talk, "You know about the Oda Family—the largest _yakuza _family around here? The girl—Oichi-dono—is the Oda Family's heiress now, since the fall of the Oda's Head."

Saika emerged from her seat—clearly shocked from the news.

"Nobunaga—the Oda's Head—has fallen? How can it be?" she barked.

"Keep your voice down," Ieyasu whispered, "I just got an information update from one of my agents. It seems that the cause of his death was…"

"I can't believe it," said Saika—confused, she completely lose her cool, "The Oda Family isn't dead yet, and now—we have to face a new Head? God damn it."

"Listen, _Oichi-dono was the one who killed Nobunaga_. She killed her own brother."

Once again, Saika gawked—scratching her head.

"Last night, she snapped and killed Nobunaga. From what I've heard from my agents, she lost her sanity due to Nobunaga's betrayal to Azai Group," Ieyasu said, checking his cellphone.

"You mean—last month's case? When Oda Nobunaga made the Azai went bankrupt—and driven the Azai's Head to suicide?"

"Exactly. The Azai's Head—Nagamasa—was Oichi-dono's fiancée. His death must be hard for her," Ieyasu muttered.

"…That drives the girl crazy, and she killed her own brother? What an irony for such legendary _yakuza _family," said Saika—cynically.

"This makes me feel a bit weird, though," Ieyasu giggled, "I thought _you_'re the one who supposed to tell me this news. You didn't know about this stuff? I mean, with your information networks, I thought this would be easy for you to read."

"Actually, I let my agents left the Odas the night before—they need a brief rest too. What puts me to shock is, that few hours later, this incident would happen. And I believe, you've done some research to the Odas was caused by that girl, is it? Because you bumped to her last night. If you didn't, you wouldn't know about this, right?" Saika evaded Ieyasu's snark.

"Anyways, I'm worried about Oichi-dono," Ieyasu rushed—rose from his seat, "I'm going to check up on her. You're coming?"

"No, thanks," she rejected—coldly, "I have no interest in such a lowly being without any pride at all."

"Saika-san, you should watch your words," Ieyasu marked—his face turned dark, "She went unstable because of those hardships she was forced through her life. It's not her fault for being broken like that. She doesn't want to suffer too, right?"

"Whatever," the redhead shook her head—and walked out the office, "Just contact me later, and I'll come with some reliable informations."

Ieyasu smiled a little, and ordered his guards to make a way for him and Saika.

"I'll be waiting, Saika-san. Meet me at my residence anytime soon."

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 9<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_10:37 AM_

* * *

><p>At Tokugawa's residence, a young woman was sitting in front of a mirror.<p>

Three maids were combing her long hair and dressed her.

She stared blankly at the mirror—looking at her own reflection.

"…Miss," she whispered softly, "Where is he? Where is Hikari-iro-san?"

"Hikari-iro…you mean, our Lord—Ieyasu-sama?" asked the maid, confused.

"Ichi wants to see him," said the woman—blankly, "I want to feel the sunshine on my face—once again."

"Please, Milady—take your time. Our Lord isn't here for now."

"…then, Ichi shall wait for him?" she questioned—just like an obedient little girl.

The maid smiled, "Yes, please. Ieyasu-sama would have happy to see you fine like this."

"Hey, our Lord is here! Please, be prepared," said one of the maids.

Not long, Ieyasu entered the room—and the servants bowed before him.

"Ieyasu-sama," said one of the servants, "Lady Oichi is ready to see you."

Ieyasu cannot believe his very own eyes for what he saw today.

The creepy, unstable woman yesterday—now transformed into a calm and beautiful woman, dressed in black silk and satin dress.

Ieyasu instructed the maids to leave the room, then approached the woman in black.

"…are you—the one who saved Ichi?" said her, "Who are you? Ichi don't know you."

This reaction made Ieyasu even more shocked.

"Wait, you can't remember?" he gulped, "It's me—Tokugawa Ieyasu, head of the Tokugawa Group. Don't you recognize me?"

"You are a complete stranger. You cannot be trusted," she continued to mutter, "Nii-sama told Ichi to not trust a stranger."

"No, Oichi-dono—you've mistaken. I was your friend, and so do I now. You have known me long time ago, but you've lost your memories since yesterday. I'm not a stranger to you, okay?"

"…I don't know…..Ichi don't know what to do…" Oichi began to sob, and looked down on the floor.

Ieyasu stuttered—but he kept his mouth shut from his speeches, and letting Oichi to cry as much as she like.

After she has calmed down, Ieyasu began to speak.

"Look, Oichi-dono—I think it'll be best for you to come with me," he said—took her hands and grasped them tightly.

"Really? Why don't you take Ichi to Nii-sama? Is it bad?"

"I'm afraid I can't. If I sent you back to the hands of Oda, you'll be suffering again. Nobunaga has died, and you'll be forced to become the Oda's Heiress."

"My brother is dead…? No…you're lying…" Oichi glared with a deep stare—her head tilted eerily, much to Ieyasu's startle.

"I am not. But, please—stop worrying about such things," he took her into his arms—embraced her tightly, "More importantly, you're not alone. I won't let you suffer from loneliness anymore."

Oichi was shaking, beneath Ieyasu's arms.

Her heart shivered—it feels like about to burst open—from the warmth that engulfed her.

"Hikari-iro-san—" she began to cry, her voice was choked by tears of joy, "Am I…not alone anymore? Ichi…is not alone?"

"True," he replied—taking off his embrace, "You don't have to be afraid anymore. There's nothing to be scared of. I will be always by your side, Oichi-dono."

Oichi pressed her head onto Ieyasu's chest—listened to his heartbeat.

"Yes…yes…"

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 9<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_15:23 PM_

* * *

><p>In the warm and windy afternoon, Saika arrived at the Tokugawa residence.<p>

She was accompanied by her guards—each armed with guns on their hands.

Upon hearing her arrival, Ieyasu walked to the atrium—meeting her.

"Oh—hello, Saika-san. You got something?" he greeted, with a wide smile on his face.

"More or less. I just got few infos from my spies, maybe you'll take an eye on these," she said, snapped her finger—and one of her guards took a large suitcase.

In a graceful way, she opened the suitcase—and took out a large envelope.

"These were taken at the Oda's residence last night. Complete with some photos and a video recording. Take a look," said Saika—while her expression turned serious.

Ieyasu opened the envelope and examined the contents.

His eyes rounded in shock, after he discovered one of the photos showed Oichi.

In the photos, Oichi looks horrible—her body was completely red, soaked in blood, while her hands holding a large knife.

The other pictures shown dead bodies everywhere—the result of a terrifying massacre.

Ieyasu saw the pictures of Ranmaru—Nobunaga's adopted son—and Nou—Nobunaga's wife.

Their corpses were lying on the floor—murdered brutally.

And in the last of the photos collected by Saika, he saw the corpse of Nobunaga himself.

Ieyasu shuddered, and closed the envelope.

"This is weird," he said, "It's not on the news until now, is it?"

"No, we've checked on the TV, newspapers, magazines, radio, and net. There's still no sign about the news of Oda Family's massacre," replied her.

"Then, they must be covering it from the media to expose such an incident. They are preventing other _yakuza _families to know about their fall."

"We have two possibilities about this incident," Saika waved her hands, and her men locked the envelope inside the suitcase, "Creepy possibilities, Tokugawa."

"What are those?" Ieyasu gulped.

"First, the remnants of the Oda must have thought of the new Head—taking control of the Oda Family, after Nobunaga's death. From the informations we've collected so far, they intended to make that girl as the new heir. It seems they're oblivious about the fact that she _killed _her own brother, perhaps."

"This means," Ieyasu clenched his fists, "They're trying to find Oichi-dono's whereabouts? And then, crowned her as the new Oda head?"

"Yes, you can say so. Second, we have one corpse missing after the Oda Family massacre. Do you know whose it is?"

Ieyasu furrowed his eyebrows, then jumped—startled by his own thinking.

"_Akechi Mitsuhide_?"

"Correct. We cannot find his corpse everywhere. He might have been killed by Nobunaga's sister too, or the worst…..he's still out there—_alive_. Roaming around the town, searching for the last remnant of Oda's heir. The Odas and Akechi are racing—to find Oichi, then they can do her as they want to."

The news made Ieyasu trembling, imagining horrible things that would happen if Saika's information are true…

"What should I do then? This is really bad," he shuddered.

"About the first possibility, I suggest you to keep that girl out of the Odas' reach. We cannot comprehend to face Oda when they found their new power—and then again, this girl is _unstable_. We don't know what will happen if she takes control of the most powerful _yakuza _family around this country. We cannot let the Odas have this girl."

"Nice suggestion, Saika-san," he nodded, "How about Akechi? What if he really searches for Oichi-dono?"

Saika folded her arms—her face turned dark, "Do you know about Akechi's reputation in Oda? He's well-known for his treachery. He's on the top list of Odas' black list. What he wants from Oichi is…..maybe—he wants to kill that girl, for he loathes the Oda so much."

"Oh, no. Oichi-dono's life is really in danger. This is—too horrible for her!" Ieyasu muttered, losing his cool.

"Why don't you throw that girl away?" said Saika—mercilessly, "If you handed her to the Odas, we're finished. And if you keep her under your wings, then I'm sure one day Akechi would come to you and break those wings of yours. What would you do, Tokugawa?"

Ieyasu bit his lip, grunted.

"If I were you, I wouldn't involve myself—and my family, my organization—with that girl's problems. Or for the best solution—just _kill _her. It won't give you any problem."

"Saika-san!" said Ieyasu—enraged, "You shouldn't say such a thing that calmly!"

"Then, what will you do?"

"I won't give her to the Odas. She'll have to endure more pain again—being forced to become the new head. Nor just threw her away—letting her to become Akechi's prey outside there. I will protect her. I won't let anyone hurt her."

Saika was stunned in silence, unable to say a word.

"I know, she was suffering too much. Nobunaga-kou's treatments to her weren't that good. And Azai-dono's death…that's just too much for her! I don't want her to suffer anymore, Saika-san."

The redhead turned her face, bit her lip.

"To tell you the truth," she said—in icy tone, "I hate that girl so much. She's too low for a _yakuza _family with such pride like the Oda, and is a weak-mided fool. How can someone like her survived the cruel methods of world?"

"Saika-san, I'm sure she doesn't want to be born with these circumstances forced on her. You can't just push her to be like this or like that. I think, just let her be for this moment," Ieyasu sighed, and then scratched his head.

"If you intended to keep her under your protection, I don't really mind. However, you should heed my warnings," she said—ordering her men to make a way for her.

"Yes, of course, Saika-san. I'm really grateful for your informations. I'll be careful."

"Oh, and another one, Tokugawa," she stopped walking—and turned away, "If you ever dare to dress her with weird fetishes like _lolitas_ or crazy _cosplays_, I'll dissolve our contract on the spot. Don't get me wrong, I just hate whenever some guy mistreats women."

Ieyasu laughed, "I won't. I'll treat her properly. I won't do such stupid things."

"Well, I know I can stick to your words."

"Anyways, do you want to have dinner together, tonight?"

"No, thanks. I have an appointment with my next client. I'll see you around soon—if I have another useful information."

"Well, safe journey, Saika-san."

Saika smirked a little, then moved out along with her men.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 9<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_18:55 PM_

* * *

><p>A young woman sat in front of a mirror—looking at her own reflection.<p>

She swooped her long, black hair, and smiled a little.

"Hikari-iro-san is ever so kind. He gives this beautiful dress to Ichi. He treats Ichi delicious meals. He promises to protect Ichi—from any kind of danger that threatens Ichi's life. However, that's not what Ichi wants. What Ichi wants is…."

A man's face appeared on the mirror—right behind her.

Oichi looked at the figure with shock, and looked behind.

There was nothing.

"Who is that?" she asked—trembled, in fear.

She recalled the man's face once again—but it was too blurry in her memories.

"Who is that? What do you want from Ichi?" she whispered—while her hands were shaking.

She tries to remember, but once again, the man's face was too blurry.

Suddenly, an intense ache struck her head.

She slumped on the floor, clutching her head in pain.

"It—it hurts…my head hurts…"

"_I'll protect you. So please, stop crying."_

The figure appeared in her head, emitting white light—before disappeared into a blinding ray that hurt her eyes.

She startled, and gasped.

_xxxxxxxx-sama?_

_No. It wasn't you._

_It was a different person.  
><em>

"Milady."

A knock was heard from the door.

"Ieyasu-sama asks your presence in the dining room. The dinner is served."

Oichi stood up, with teary eyes.

"Yes. Ichi will come there soon."

She looked at the mirror once again, and smiled.

She knew it firmly, that the man's reflection earlier was Ieyasu's.

"Yes, Hikari-iro-san. Thank you very much. Ichi is very happy. Very happy…."

She took a gentle step, and walked away from the room.


	2. Captured

_**What is it that haunts me in my dreams?**_

_**What is it that pains me so much in my heart?**_

_**Please, don't say anything.**_

_**Please, don't remind me of the ghost of my past.**_

_**I just want to live as I should be.**_

_**I just want to enjoy this warm sunlight, away from the darkness behind my back.**_

_**Far, far away…**_

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 14<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_15:12 PM_

* * *

><p>At the gate of Tokugawa's residence, a girl was riding her bicycle.<p>

She parked the bike clumsily, and rushed to the entrance.

The girl ran through the cherry blossom trees planted at the entrance's garden, while chuckling cheerfully.

Meanwhile, Ieyasu yawned on his sofa—watching afternoon sports at the TV.

"Ieyasu-sama, someone would like to see you," said one of the maids—approached him.

"Oh, who is that? Let him go to the atrium, then," he replied, rose from his seat.

"Actually, Ieyasu-sama," the maid stuttered, "It's the heiress of the Iyo."

Upon hearing the said person, Ieyasu jumped a bit.

"What did you say?" he barked.

"Umm…it's Tsuruhime-sama, the Iyo's young lady."

Without any further gawks, Ieyasu jumped from his sofa, and half-running to the atrium.

He found a young girl—wearing high-school uniform—was sitting on the couch.

The girl with a short bobbed hair grinned widely at him.

"Good day, Ieyasu-san!" she chirped cheerfully.

"Tsuruhime-dono—why are you here?" Ieyasu gawked, almost dropped his jaw to the floor.

"My, you're so silly, dear! Of course I want to see you!" the girl played her hair with her fingers, and winked at him.

"No—that's not what I meant. Well, you…skipped your school?"

Tsuruhime grinned widely, "Te-hee. Yeah, sometimes, I need a break."

Ieyasu shook his head in disbelief.

"Behind your chaste exterior, you're quite a mischievous girl, eh?" he laughed a little.

The young lady jumped from her seat, and giggled.

"Do you have some snacks? I'm hungry," she said.

"I'll make them prepared, if you want some. Anyways, how's the Iyo Group doing?"

"Yeaaah, as usual. Nothing's special. Except we're employing more old guys for work," she replied.

"And how's Hojo-dono doing? And Fuuma-san?" Ieyasu ordered his maids to prepare some snacks for his guest.

Suddenly, Tsuruhime's face turned red.

"Gosh! W—well, of course they're doing fine! Especially that my Wing of Twilight…ahhh, how I miss him~"

"Oh, that's good to hear. I haven't contacted the Hojo Group for a quite long time. I just hope that Hojo-dono's rheumatics doesn't get any worse that usual."

"Ujimasa-jii-san got a cold three days ago. But now, he's back to work again. When I came to visit him, my Wing of Twilight got a very sad look around his face! I was sooo depressed, Ieyasu-san! Fortunately, he seems to be cheered up again, after Ujimasa-jii-san's recovery!"

"Hahahaha, that's good."

"Ieyasu-sama, Tsuruhime-sama, here is the snack," a maid appeared, holding two plates of fruit cakes.

"Oh, wow! Looks delicious! Thank you very much, Ieyasu-san!" Tsuruhime cheered, her eyes glittered with stars.

Ieyasu can't help but laughing at her festive mood, "Ahaha, there, there. Eat up."

"_Itadakimasu!_" Tsuruhime took a large bite, and her face turned bright red—filled with happiness, "Hmmm, it's good! Its fluffy cream, and its juicy fruits—they're sooo delicious!"

While Tsuruhime was busy indulging herself in her cake, a slim—dark figure appeared from behind a door.

"Ichi wants a bite, too…"

Ieyasu dropped his fork—almost jumped to the rooftop.

Tsuruhime stared blankly at the figure, now standing in front of her—whining, seemed taken an interest in her cake.

"Oichi-dono!" Ieyasu yelped—almost screamed, "I told you to stay in your room!"

"But, Ichi wants a bite…" she begged, her eyes still fixed at the cake.

"Here," Tsuruhime smiled, and gave Oichi her fork, "Have one, it's very delicious! I bet you'll like it!"

Oichi took a bite, and her pale cheeks turned soft pink.

"…it's good…" she whispered, "It's very sweet. Delicious."

"See! I told you! If you want more, you can have mine!" Tsuruhime giggled, and gave Oichi the whole plate.

Oichi stared at the feisty girl—looked somewhat anxious.

"By the way, Ieyasu-san," Tsuruhime pointed at Oichi, "Is she your new girlfriend?"

This question made Ieyasu flustered, of course.

"Wh—what? Of course not!" he answered, sweating a little.

"Who is she? I never saw her face before," the young girl asked, her face filled with curiosity.

"Well, do you know about Oda Family? She's Nobunaga-kou's younger sister."

Upon hearing Ieyasu's words, Tsuruhime turned pale a bit.

"What? Are you serious? She's the Demon King's sister?"

"Yes. And I'd like you to keep quiet about this, but—few days ago, Oda Family was massacred, by her. You wouldn't know about this, since they've been covering it from the media."

Tsuruhime was even more shocked.

"What a horrible fate!" she cried, "Why did she even do that? That's her own family!"

"She doesn't have any choice, Tsuruhime-dono. She doesn't like to kill either, but she was driven to do that. Oichi-dono has too much suffered from the pain forced onto her. That's why, please, don't blame her. Just make her comfortable here, she's been alone for all these times."

Tsuruhime gazed at Oichi—who's eating her cake delightfully.

"I see…you're always alone, just like me. You are a poor, poor thing…" Tsuruhime whispered, softly.

"Shiroi-tori-san, aren't you going to eat any?" Oichi asked, with a faint smile on her lips.

"Err—I'm not a bird, my name is Tsuruhime. And you're…Oichi-chan, right? It's nice to meet you," said Tsuruhime—correcting her name was not the 'Shiroi-tori', means 'White Bird'.

"It is very nice to meet you too, Shiroi-tori-san. Your cake is delicious, Ichi likes it."

"Oichi-chan, do you find it lonely? You look so…depressed."

Oichi kept silent, then shook her head, "Ichi is fine. Ichi has Hikari-iro-san on Ichi's side. Ichi is happy. But, yes…whenever Hikari-iro-san went to work, Ichi is lonely. Ichi doesn't have anyone by Ichi's side. Ichi is lonely."

"You seems to be like that," Tsuruhime grasped her hands, "Hey, what if I'll come here to visit you everyday? So that you don't have to be lonely anymore."

Oichi's eyes were widened, "Really? Do you want to be Ichi's friend?"

Tsuruhime nodded, "Yep! We can be friends! See, I can teach you many things! We'll bake a cake together…and we'll make a caramel pudding and eat it together, doing fun things, anything!"

"Ichi…is so happy!"

Ieyasu smiled at the girls—cheerfully laughing and giggling, enjoying their company for each other.

Suddenly, his cellphone was ringing.

It was a call—from Saika.

"Hello? What is it, Saika-san?" answered Ieyasu.

"_Tokugawa, I just received a news from Iyo Group that the 'Tsuru-chan' went missing. She was gone from her school, and all of her employers here is panicking. This is a total chaos, indeed."_

"Eh? What?"

"_You heard me. It seems she's been kidnapped—by someone we don't know. Her traces are nowhere to found—"_

Laughter bursted from Ieyasu—much to Saika, Tsuruhime, and Oichi's shock.

"_Hello? Tokugawa? What's wrong?"_

"Listen—Saika-san…ahahaha…your 'little princess' is…here…ahahaha!"

"_What? What do you mean? Please, would you stop laughing to explain clearly for me?"_

Ieyasu calmed his laughter, then continued, "Tsuruhime-dono is _here_—at my residence. She skipped school earlier, and she's hiding at my house. Tell the Iyos not to worry, she's safe and sound."

A sigh can be heard from Saika.

"_Well, I'll do it. Please tell her to stay there, I'll pick her up in one hour."_

"Got it."

Ieyasu hung up, and Tsuruhime was grinning widely—knocked her head a little.

"Oops, sorry, Ieyasu-san. Forgot to tell them I was here."

"Really," Ieyasu sighed, "You really are a rebellious little lady."

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 14<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_16:27 PM_

* * *

><p>A sound of vehicle being parked was screeching outside.<p>

Ieyasu took a peek from the window, and found that was Saika's car.

He opened the door, and letting the redhead entered the atrium.

"Today's a really long day," Saika sighed, "I went to explain for Tsuruhime's disappearance to the Iyos, and they still thinking that their heiress was kidnapped—by _you_."

Ieyasu laughed again, "Can't blame for their over-protectiveness, though. She's still very young to become a group's successor."

"Actually, this reminds me of you when you were young, Tokugawa," said Saika, while holding her laughter, "When you were going to be kidnapped _too often_."

"C'mon, that's not funny," Ieyasu grunted—flustered a little.

After Tsuruhime spotted Saika's arrival, she jumped and rushed onto her.

"Saika-nee-sama! Saika-nee-samaaa!"

She glomped onto Saika's chest, while squealing with hyper-cheerfulness.

"My, still energetic as ever, Tsuruhime-chan," Saika chuckled, "You shouldn't skipping school and make everyone worry. A heiress of Iyo Group shouldn't act so childish like this."

"I know, but…" Tsuruhime pouted, "I'm bored. I wanna go play to Ieyasu-san!"

"There, there. We'll let you for today, but you shouldn't do this again, okay?" said Saika—stroking Tsuruhime's hair.

"You could make a good big sister to her," Ieyasu grinned, "Or a good _mom_."

"Shut up," she blushed her cheeks, "And you could make yourself a good _father_ to that gloomy girl."

Ieyasu was silenced.

"Anyways, I have something for you," Saika's face turned serious, "This is about _Akechi_."

Upon hearing the man's name, Oichi stood from her seat—her face turned dark.

_Oichi-sama—I've been looking for you._

_You should come with me, Oichi-sama._

_I'll meet you with your brother._

_Come, now._

"Who…is that person?" she stammered, "I feel like…I've heard that name before. But, I can't remember…I…"

Suddenly, her head was aching again—she stumbled to the floor, holding her head.

"Nnnnngh! My head hurts! It hurts! It hurts!"

"Oichi-chan!"

Tsuruhime rushed to her, trying to calm her down.

"I…I have to—meet him. I have to meet _Mitsuhide_…"

"Oichi-dono! Get a hold on yourself!" Ieyasu approached her, also trying to calm her down, but failed.

Oichi struggled, clenching her head in pain, and screamed.

"No—NO! NOOOOO! IT HURTS! IT HUUUUUURTS!"

"OICHI-CHAN! STOP!"

Tsuruhime wrapped her arms around her, calmed her down a little.

"It's okay. We're here, Oichi-chan. You're not alone. You don't have to be hurt anymore," Tsuruhime whispered.

Oichi was shaking, trembled in Tsuruhime's arms.

"This symptoms…she must be recovering her memories, although little by little," Saika folded her arms, "I think, she should know about her condition and her situation now. Tokugawa, what do you say?"

Ieyasu clenched his fists, "No. Don't tell her. I don't want her to know about her suffering past. Let her be for this time being."

"Listen, Tokugawa. I know you're trying to being a kind and helping figure to her, but that's not the right way to do it. If you really want to make her safe—if you really want to make her survive, you have to tell her everything," Saika grumbled, "It would hurt her a bit, but she'll know what she have to do to help herself."

Tsuruhime helped Oichi to sit on the couch, while Ieyasu approached them.

"Oichi-dono," he said, "I believe you would not like to hear it, but I have to say it for you."

"What—what is it…?" Oichi spoke, weakly.

"Your life is in danger," he answered, "The man by the name Akechi Mitsuhide is now hunting for your head. He's also the one who _killed your family_, your brother."

When Saika was about to speak in protest, Ieyasu waved his hand—prevented her speech.

"Really?" she asked, "Is it dangerous for Ichi to meet him?"

"Yes, you shouldn't away from this residence. You shouldn't go outside there, or Akechi would kill you."

"_That monster…"_ Oichi stood up, her face was distorted into a scary—insane expression, _"He dares to kill Nii-sama! He dares to kill Nouhime-sama and Ranmaru! Ichi cannot forgive him…"_

Tsuruhime walked back, terrified of Oichi's sudden change, "O—Oichi-chan…?"

"_Ichi cannot forgive him! Ichi cannot forgive him! Nii-sama would be very angry at Ichi!"_

"Oichi-dono? What's wrong?"

"_ICHI WILL KILL HIM—ICHI WILL KILL HIM!"_

"Oichi-dono!"

Ieyasu slapped her cheek, ultimately silenced her.

Both Tsuruhime and Saika were mute.

Oichi turned her face at Ieyasu, and her expression turned normal—as usual.

"I—I'm sorry," she muttered, "What are we talking about earlier?"

Ieyasu was flabbergasted.

"We were talking about Akechi. He's a bad guy, so you should keep out of him, okay? You cannot walk yourself out of the residence. Understand?"

"Yes…yes…I know."

"By the way, Tokugawa. May I tell you about some info I've collected?" said Saika, interrupting.

"Yes, please."

"We've spotted a suspicious man around the B District. It's located nearby your office. And the man's features were eerily similar to Akechi's."

Saika gave a large envelope to Ieyasu, filled with photos.

"See that white-haired man over there? We clearly suspected him as Akechi."

As Saika pointed on the photos, a figure of a tall—slender man was seen.

Without doubt, his face was easily identified as the said man—Akechi Mitsuhide.

"No way! Is he already make his advances to Ieyasu-san's office?" Tsuruhime shireked.

"Yes, he is. And I'm afraid he would continue his search to _Tokugawa's residence _in no time," added Saika—in a dark tone.

"So, what I'm gonna do now—is to keep Oichi-dono safe, from anything that threatens her life," Ieyasu muttered.

"Tsuru-san, please take Oichi-san to her room, and would you mind to accompany her for a while?" asked Saika—softly.

The short-haired girl nodded, and escorted the raven-haired girl to a room.

After the girls were gone, Saika walked towards Ieyasu, and without warning—slammed her fist to his face.

Ieyasu was startled, rubbing his jaw.

"Ow, what was that for—Saika-san?"

"You air-headed crow," spat her, "Why did you lie to her? Your actions doesn't make anything better, you idiot!"

"Then, what should I do, Saika-san?" Ieyasu stood up, fixing his jaw, "Should I tell her about the bitter truth that _she_ was the one who killed her whole family?"

"Oh, I would do that if I were you," replied her—coldly, "It's better to tell the truth—no matter how it harsh may be, rather than spewing out sugary lies and dragged everything to oblivion and destruction!"

Ieyasu was stunned—realizing his fault at hand.

The awkward silence filled the room.

"…what's done is done. It is fine to tell her the fact that Akechi's the one who killed the Odas—but just, don't take your eyes away from her," Saika muttered—looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Saika-san," Ieyasu mumbled, "I just—can't help myself. I just wanted to protect her from being hurt. But, my action seems not in a good way."

"It's…it's alright. I'm sorry, too, for being too emotional. You're still my client whatsoever, but I punched you on your face for a stupid reason—I'm sorry for that," said her, apologized.

Ieyasu chuckled, "But, it's fine. You've put some sense on me to do it right. I'll be careful next time—and I'll listen to your suggestions first."

Saika kept silent, and turned her face.

"…you know, Tokugawa? I went too emotional earlier…it was because…someone I know, did the same thing as you intended to do."

She clenched her arms, trembled.

"That person was died. He died in vain—because he lied to me. He lied to me sweetly, and I was unable to do anything—to save him, it left me more devastated than before. If only…if only he told me the truth, then—he wouldn't have to meet such tragedy."

"Saika-san…"

Saika gazed intently at Ieyasu's eyes, "That's why, I don't want you do end up like him. You lied sweetly to a girl, and that makes you failed horribly and the girl whom you lied to, would suffer more. Just tell the truth, no matter how bitter it might be."

Ieyasu smiled upon hearing her confessions, and his head was filled with clear minds.

"Understood. I won't lie to her next time."

"I hope I can stick to your words."

Saika turned her back and checked her cellphone.

"I left Tsuru-san under your care. I'll tell the Iyos that she stays overnight at the Tokugawa's. I think, Oichi-san needs a therapy. And we can have Tsuru-san watches over her too, just to make sure that she's okay."

"Nice move, Saika-san," Ieyasu grinned, "I'll add more security systems in the residence too."

"So, for now, you'll be having two young girls at your house," Saika threatened him—with a sharp glare, "Don't you dare to do anything foolish."

Ieyasu laughed again.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 15<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_09:14 AM_

* * *

><p>"Your hair is very long—and beautiful. I'm jealous."<p>

Tsuruhime combed Oichi's silky black hair, after the latter finished her bath.

"Is it?" Oichi asked—looking at her own reflection in the mirror.

"Yes! I want to have beautiful long hair—just like you. Oh, but a short cut is good too, just like Saika-nee-sama's. Aaaah, both of you makes me feel envious!" Tsuruhime ranted, playing her own hair with her finger.

Oichi giggled, amused with Tsuruhime's bubbly personality.

"Done! Wow, you're pretty."

The raven-haired girl blushed, "D—do you think so? Thank you, Shiroi-tori-san…"

"Tehe. It's okay. Anyway, you'll be looking better if you wear some hair decs. Do you want me to put a ribbon, or barrettes?"

Tsuruhime emptied her pocket, and showed many cute, colorful ribbons.

"They're very cute. Ichi likes them all."

"Maybe you'll be looking good with the purple ones. Or pink?"

Oichi let Tsuruhime decorating her hair with ribbons, while the latter cheerfully chirping about many things.

"Hey, let's borrow the kitchen and bake a cake! What do you say, Oichi-chan?"

"Yes, Ichi wants to bake a cake too," Oichi nodded.

Then, Tsuruhime pulled Oichi's hands—running through the corridor.

"Excuse me," said Tsuruhime, "Can we borrow the kitchen? We want to make a cake."

The maids in the kitchen smiled at her, and make a way for her.

"Let's make a good one! Ooh, what should we make? Doughnuts? Croissants?" Tsuruhime sang while examined the ingredients.

"Ichi wants the one like yesterday," Oichi stared at a pile of fruits on a basket, "It was fluffy…creamy…and sweet."

"Oichi-chan, we don't have enough ingredients to make fruit cakes. Oh, how about apple pie? I think we can make some."

"Ichi is fine…is it fluffy, and creamy?"

"Well, the apple pie doesn't taste like creamy, but it's still tastes good, if it turns out well!"

Oichi smiled, "Tell me, Shiroi-tori-san…what does apple pie tastes like?"

"Hmmm…it tastes like…crispy, warm, sour and sweet…it's tasty, really! You should try!"

"Ichi wants to try it too…"

"Then, let's get to it!"

The girls washed their hands and prepared the utensils.

Tsuruhime got the flour ready, while Oichi was cutting the apples.

"Where's the measure pan? I thought it would be here…" the short-haired girl muttered to herself.

While Tsuruhime was busy with her work, Oichi accidentally cut her finger with the knife.

"Ah!"

"Oichi-chan? What's wrong?"

"No—no…"

Seeing the crimson blood dripping from her cut, Oichi suddenly felt dizzy.

Violent rifts and lunatic feelings were mixed up—swirling inside her mind.

_It was this crimson red._

_That raw stench—that rusty stench filled the air._

_Do you want to spill another blood?_

"Here, it's okay. It's just a small cut."

Before the darkness within engulfed her, Tsuruhime's slender hands reached to her, covered her cut with a cute band-aid.

Oichi was snapped out of her brief trance, and looked at the young girl confusedly.

"Err—thank you," she muttered.

"Now, the mould is done—and the apples are cleanly cut too. Now, let's mix the mould and bake it in the oven," Tsuruhime chirped, pouring down sugar into a bowl.

"How long we have to wait?" Oichi asked, gently rubbing the band-aid wrapped her finger.

"Hmmm, maybe about 30-40 minutes? While we're waiting for the cake, we can have some ice cream!" the younger girl replied, cheerfully examined the fridge.

"Aaah, we don't have ice cream! I guess, we have to wait until the cake's ready. Ieyasu-san doesn't like ice cream, I presume?"

"Ah," Oichi stammered, "Where is Hikari-iro-san?"

"Ieyasu-san? He went to work this morning. He'll come home at afternoon, though."

Oichi gazed at the oven—emitting heat from the cake's baking.

"Ichi wants Hikari-iro-san to eat the apple pie," she said—softly, "The apple pie is good, Hikari-iro-san should try a bite…"

"Of course, Oichi-chan! We'll give him a slice too! Ooooh, I really really really wish that my Wing of Twilight is here! I will give him a slice of my admiration and pure love! Ooooh!" Tsuruhime squealing and giggling, while her face was bright red.

The girls were talking to each other, until minutes have passed—and the pie was ready.

"Careful, it's hot," said Tsuruhime—putting the pie to a big plate and slicing it.

"It looks good," Oichi stammered—smiled a little, "Ichi wants to try."

She took a bite from a slice of pie, and her face was flushed in soft pink color.

"This is good…Ichi feels really happy…" she chuckled, made Tsuruhime more curious about the pie.

"Hmmm—yeah! It's delicious! You're really good in cooking too, Oichi-chan!"

"Ichi wants Hikari-iro-san to try the apple pie. This is Ichi and Shiroi-tori-san's handmade," said Oichi, putting a slice of pie on a small plate.

"We'll give it to him after he's back from work," Tsuruhime grinned widely, patting Oichi's back, "I'm sure he'll love it!"

The girls giggled and laughed.

"Oh, I forgot, I have to make a call to cancel my appointment with my dentist! Oichi-chan, please stay here, okay? I'll be back soon," Tsuruhime rushed outside of the kitchen.

Oichi stood in front of the oven, staring at the scenery outside—from the kitchen's window.

She saw cherry trees outside there—blooming their blossoms, and their petals were gently waved by the breeze.

Suddenly, a black cat jumped from the fence—running through the backyard.

Spotting the cat, Oichi stepped out of the kitchen, and went to the backyard—intended to chase the cat.

"Little Kitty…Little Kitty, where are you?"

She searched for the cat everywhere, looking at the trees and the bushes.

"Little Kitty? I'm not going to bite you…come here….Ichi wants to pet you…."

In an instant, a horrible—screeching sound was heard.

Oichi gasped, and froze on her feet.

"…Little Kitty…?"

Her heartbeat suddenly went faster, and she sweated a little.

She was scared—something doesn't feel right.

She races back to the back door—returning back to the kitchen.

However, it was too late for her.

Bleeding corpse of a cat was laid at the door's opening.

She screamed in fear, stepping back, and cried.

"N—NO! NOOOOOOO!"

"_We've found you, Oichi-sama."_

Without warning, something covered Oichi's mouth from behind—restraining her struggles.

"_We've found you first!"_

Slowly, her consciousness drifted away, and she fell to the ground.

Before everything went pitch black, Oichi was sure she heard something familiar—a maniacal laughter, that she have ever heard before.


	3. Escape

_**Is it truly my sin?**_

_**Is it truly my fault at hand?**_

_**Or is it just my nightmare?**_

_**Tell me, how do I wash the blood that stains these hands?**_

_**How do I erase these sins on my soul?**_

_**Or how do I wake from this endless nightmare?**_

_**Please tell me.**_

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 15<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_11:09 AM_

* * *

><p>Tsuruhime heard Oichi's scream—she hung up the phone and rushed to the kitchen.<p>

"Oichi-chan? What's the matter?"

She found the kitchen was empty, and the back door opened.

Without hesitation, she ran out to the backyard—only to find a dismembered cat and a suspicious man holding Oichi.

"O—OICHI-CHAN?"

The man stared at her—mysteriously emitting menace aura, much to Tsuruhime's fear.

"Get rid of her," he hissed, and suddenly a large number of black-dressed men appeared—attacking the young girl.

Being helpless and no protection at all, Tsuruhime screamed—desperately calling for help.

"NO—NOOOO! SOMEONE HELP ME—ANYONE! HELP!"

She closed her eyes, crouching—and trembled in fear.

However, nothing happened—and she opened her eyelids slowly.

The attackers were stopped, and fallen to the ground—followed by a rain of black feathers everywhere.

Tsuruhime quickly jumped away from the black-dressed men, and recognized her savior.

A man with a cap—with blinding red bangs over his eyes, wearing a leather jacket, stood upon the fence in amazing balance.

Her face was flushed, and she whispered, "W—Wing of Twilight? Why did you…here?"

One of the henchmen stood back again, attacking Tsuruhime—while the eerie man rushed away, carrying Oichi to a black car.

The mysterious protector stabbed the henchman, grabbing Tsuruhime in his arms.

"No! Wait! They've taken Oichi-chan away!" screamed Tsuruhime, with teary eyes.

The man let Tsuruhime down, and he stepped to the nearby tree—trying to track the car down.

However, the car has already gone, leaving the flying dust and smoke everywhere.

"T—this is bad! I…I have to do something!" Tsuruhime cried, hysterically searched her pocket—and grabbed her cellphone, "I—I have to tell police, or Saika-nee-sama…or Ieyasu-san!"

The red-haired man jumped down the tree—approached her, and pat her head without saying a word.

It seems he tried to calm her down, but his mute chord made him unable to say anything—but to calm her down with gestures.

Tsuruhime panicked—tried to make a call.

"_Hello, Saika Magoichi speaking."_

"S—Saika-nee-sama!" the young girl cried, "This is bad! Really bad!"

"_What happened, Tsuru-san? Why are you crying?"_

"Oichi-chan…they took her! She's been kidnapped!"

"_What?"_

"OICHI-CHAN WAS KIDNAPPED!" she cried, her voice choked by her tears.

"_C—Calm down, Tsuru-san. Could you please tell me, what's the kidnapper's look like?"_

"He…he's so scary! He has a long, white hair—and…..and he took Oichi-chan away by a black car! He even threatens to kill me!" Tsuruhime wept—her body was shaking, "I'm scared, Saika-nee-sama! I'm scared!"

"_Are you alright, Tsuru-san? Do you hurt? Are the kidnappers still around your area?"_

"I—I'm not hurt…Wing of Twilight saved me…there are still some bad guys knocked out here, at Ieyasu-san's backyard. But I'm still afraid!"

A sigh can be heard from Saika, _"Damn. Is Fuuma there—right beside you? I want to talk to him."_

Tsuruhime gave her phone to the man, and he accepted it coldly.

"_Fuuma-san, is that you?"_

"…"

"_Listen, while I'm contacting Tokugawa and your master—Hojo-san, please restrain the kidnappers you've taken care of, and stay with Tsuru-san at Tokugawa's residence. And please, do not do anything necessary until further notice. Now, I'm hanging up the call—and lastly, keep Tsuru-san calm and safe, understand?"_

The red-haired man hung up, and patted Tsuruhime's head—much to the latter's embarrassment.

Meanwhile, at his office, Ieyasu received a call from Saika on his cellphone.

"Hello, good day, Saika-san."

"_I wouldn't call this a 'good day' if I were you. Listen, I just got terrible news."_

Ieyasu's eyebrows went furrowed, "What? Did something happen?"

Saika's voice from abroad went dark, _"Oichi-san was abducted. And Tsuru-san almost being a victim of the assault."_

"WHAT?"

"_Tsuru-san is fine, Fuuma-san saved her. I've sent my agents searched around the town—hoping we could track the kidnappers. I've also contacted the Hojo—who sent Fuuma-san earlier, to send some backup we needed for the search."_

"How can it be? Oh, God. This is the worst situation possible!"

"_Go back to your residence now, Tokugawa. We'll discuss this matter as quick as we can. I'm on my way there."_

"Yes, I'll do. Please contact me if you have something new."

Ieyasu jumped from his seat, and rushed outside of his office.

"Tadakatsu—where's Tadakatsu?" he roared, "Tell him to be prepared—this is an EMERGENCY!"

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 15<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_13:09 PM_

* * *

><p>Ieyasu rushed to the parlor, breathing hardly.<p>

Saika—who arrived earlier, stood up from her seat.

"Tokugawa! You came at last!" she exclaimed.

There were another people gathering at the parlor—Tsuruhime, Fuuma, and an old man in white suit—Hojo.

"I've heard everything from Fuuma," Hojo murmured, "But I don't remember I gave him an order to visit Tokugawa and rescued this little lady. Why did you came here in the first place, Fuuma?"

The ninja stammered, unable to say a word—while his face was bright red.

"You mean…you just passing by?" Ieyasu asked—followed by Fuuma's awkward nod.

"Anyways, this is the information I've collected from my agents so far," Saika interrupted, "From the kidnappers Fuuma-san have captured earlier, we found out that the one who kidnapped Oichi-san was definitely _that person_."

Tsuruhime shrieked, "That bad guy? Akechi Mitsuhide?"

Saika nodded, "Yes. And so far, we've tracked their hideout. They stopped at this area."

She opened her laptop, and showed a map—a red mark blinking at one point.

"This location mark is sent by one of Fuuma-san's subordinates. He has ordered the Hojo's special agents to spy on it," Saika pointed at the map shown, "This location—we presume they are stopping by District F. And it's inside a stranded complex of buildings."

"That complex…oh! I remember," Hojo suddenly jumped—accidentally almost cracking his back, "Ouch! That—that stranded complex of Toyotomi's factory! It has been stranded since the company went bankrupt. I've heard about that place's bad reputation…"

Ieyasu's eyes were widened, "Do you mean—that place? It's infamous for assassinations and body disposal spot in the underground society!"

"Yes, that is true. The _yakuza _and mafias are fond using that area for their convenient reasons. I'm afraid they want to kill that girl…" Hojo muttered.

This conversation made Tsuruhime broke into tears, and cried heart-breakingly.

"This is my fault!" she cried, "If I hadn't left her alone at the kitchen earlier…"

Fuuma patted her head, trying to calm her down.

"Please, don't blame yourself," Ieyasu stammered, "Now, we should do what we can to rescue her, okay?"

He clenched his fists—trying to hold the anxiety within his heart.

"We have to move swiftly," said Saika—ordered her men to prepare an assault, "We can't involve and rely on the police in this. We have to move by ourselves."

"But, we have to be careful," added Hojo, "If we attack them carelessly, they'll kill the girl—since she's their hostage!"

"That's true, but we believe Akechi has his motives," Saika readied her guns, "He wouldn't kill Oichi-san that easily. And of course, we wouldn't attack him with stupid recklessness. We'll assault them—our style: _sneak attack_."

"I'll prepare Tadakatsu too—just in case of dangerous situations," Ieyasu grabbed his cellphone, "Tadakatsu, come!"

Suddenly, earth-shattering footsteps can be heard outside, and a gigantic figure stood at in front of the gate.

A huge man—few parts of his body were mechanically built, and his right eye was shining in red light.

"This is the first time," Saika muttered in amaze, "I see the famous real-life _cyborg_—Honda Tadakatsu."

"He'll be in charge if the situation went uncontrollable," Ieyasu spoke, "And I just hope we don't need to call him for help."

"Well, then!" Saika finished her guns and her ammunition, "We should head to the location! Forward, Saika Renegades! We shall focus on our mission—rescue the hostage! Ambush Unit 1, prepare to move! Ambush Unit 2, prepare for backup! MOVE!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Saika and her men moved out, entered their vehicles and gone in instant.

"I should get going too," Ieyasu muttered, and rushed—wearing his coat and leather gloves.

"I—Ieyasu-sama, please—leave this to the Saikas," said one of Ieyasu's subordinates—interrupted him, "You shouldn't go there! It's too dangerous for you, Milord. Please stay and wait, we cannot afford to lose you."

"No, I'm not planning to go there and kill myself," the young master grumbled, "I'll be fine—I can protect myself. I just want to save her—I just want to save Oichi-dono! I can't let her die that miserably!"

"W—we will join you! We can't let you go alone, Ieyasu-sama!" Ieyasu's men were pleading.

The young lord shook his head, "No. I want you all to keep the entire clan, and Hojo-dono safe. I'm only bringing Tadakatsu and the Saikas. While I'm away, please—don't do anything reckless."

"I—I'm coming too!" Tsuruhime jumped, "I want to save Oichi-chan too!"

"Tsuruhime-dono!" Ieyasu exclaimed, "What are you talking about? You shouldn't go there! Stay here and wait for us!"

"But—Oichi-chan must be scared right now! She must be terrified! I got to save her, no matter what!" the girl insisted—her tears rolled through her cheeks.

"Let her go, Ieyasu," said Hojo—surprisingly calm, "I'll let Fuuma protect Tsuruhime-chan. You don't have to worry about her. Now, go—go! Don't waste any more time."

Ieyasu left a sigh, but then nodded, "Fine. I'm going! Tadakatsu—let's go!"

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 15<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_13:12 PM_

* * *

><p>Inside a deserted building, a group of black-suited men gathered—each armed with firearms.<p>

The leader—a white-haired man, smiled eerily.

A young woman—was laid on the floor, unconscious.

"This is," the man whispered, "This is the famed Demon King's sister—Oichi-sama. She's in our hands, what an easy victory."

The woman grunted, slowly regained her consciousness—and opened her eyes.

"Ah, welcome—Oichi-sama," the white-haired man giggled, bowed down at her, "It's been a long time..."

"W—who are you? Do you know me?" she asked—flabbergasted.

The gang's members were shocked—including the leader, who quickly reverted his shock into a creepy laugh.

"You can't remember? My, an interesting turnabout, eh?" he chuckled—causing Oichi to stood, walked back, away from him.

"Y—you're a bad person…Ichi have been told to stay away from you…" Oichi stuttered.

"Me? A bad person? Tsk, tsk…I see. You've been misinformed, then, Oichi-sama…"

The young girl froze at her feet—consumed by her fear.

"W—what do you mean…?"

"I'm a bad person? Nooo, Oichi-sama…_you_'re the bad one."

Oichi gasped—and an intense pain suddenly caught her head.

"Agggh—it hurts! My head hurts!"

"_Ichi is a good girl. Ichi is a good, good girl."_

"_The one who killed your brother was him—Akechi Mitsuhide."_

"_It's not Ichi's fault! It's not my fault!"_

"_Yes…it was not my fault."_

"It's not my fault," she whispered, "It was _YOUR_ fault!"

Mitsuhide laughed uncontrollably—even his men were startled and terrified by his manner.

"MY fault?" he sneered, "Oh, please—Oichi-sama…you're making me laugh! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The raven-haired woman writhed—enduring the pain attacked her head.

"This is all your fault," Mitsuhide smirked, "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED HIM!"

Oichi gasped—her black eyes shined in fear.

"YOU are the one who killed Nobunaga-kou—your very own brother!"

Mitsuhide kept laughing like crazy, staring wildly at the girl's eyes.

"I have to thank you, Oichi-sama. Thank you for killing Nobunaga-kou for me! And now, I can continue my plans without any hindrance!"

He ordered his men to move—restraining Oichi with a rope, tied her hands.

"N—no…Ichi didn't do it…" she began to cry a little, "Hikari-iro-san told me…it was you who did it…"

"Who's that guy again? Oh…that man? Tokugawa Ieyasu? He's been deceiving you—foolish little lady! He played that good guy role to win a girl's heart! How sweet!"

Oichi broke down in tears, sobbing quietly.

"Don't do that…stop badmouthing him…don't badmouth Hikari-iro-san…" she sobbed, her long hair covered her face.

"He lied to you, my dear Oichi-sama," Mitsuhide continued, "You're the one who killed Nobunaga-kou. Don't tell me you can't remember that night? The night when you brutally killed them all…you killed Ranmaru—you killed Kichou…and…"

"NO!" Oichi barked, "STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR!"

"That rainy night—you killed them all with a knife on your hand, covered yourself in flith and blood—smeared those unwashed, unerasable sins to your face! How I wish to join that loathful banquet!"

"_This is…for xxxxxxxx-sama!"_

"_Unforgivable—YOU'RE UNFORGIVABLE!"_

"_Ichi is a good girl, a good girl."_

"_I will kill you…I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"_

The girl slumped—fell on the floor.

Eerily, she began to cackle and chuckling—much to the gang's fear.

"_It's been a while, Mitsuhide," _she whispered—in a very dark tone, _"What are you planning this time?"_

"Please forgive my rudeness, Oichi-sama," he replied—smiling widely, "I'm pretty confused about that too. Whether I should _kill _you—or _keeping you alive_…"

Oichi laughed—her voice changed to a different, dark-pitched tone, _"You planned to keep me ALIVE?"_

"Yes, if I keep you alive…I can blackmail the remaining Odas. I can use you as a hostage—to threaten them for surrendering Nobunaga-kou's throne to me," the white-haired man smirked, "…but, what if I lost my interest in that plan—and letting this bloodlust control me?"

"_That won't happen. Is your thrist of blood rival mine? Before you could do that, Ichi has already severed your head…rolling to the floor. Rolling, rolling…rolling down…and see that beautiful splatter of crimson on the floor…"_

Mitsuhide chuckled, "Oh, don't be such a bad girl, Oichi-sama. Nobunaga-kou would not be pleased. And your beloved fiancée too…"

Oichi's eyes were widened—her intent gaze filled with insanity.

_xxxxxxxx-sama?_

_You thought…that Ichi is a bad girl?_

Suddenly, a high-pitched—loud, shrill scream roared from the girl's throat.

The effect was instant—every person around her covered their ears, unable to bear the shattering frequency of it.

"Shut up!" Mitsuhide screamed, kicked Oichi's face cruelly.

She stopped screaming, and her expression turned normal again.

Oichi writhed in pain, sobbed.

"This is bad," he giggled, "I can lose my patience—and kill you, my dear Lady…"

"Wh—what are you going to do with Ichi?" she cried, "Ichi didn't do anything bad to you…Ichi is a good girl…Ichi is not a bad girl…"

Without a warning, one of Mitsuhide's henchmen screamed—and fell to the ground.

Blood sprayed from his skull.

Witnessing a horrible event, the rest went panicking.

"Well, well," Mitsuhide clapped his hands—laughing madly, "We have a new guest!"

A figure appeared—it was a slender young man.

His white hair was glowing like a moon, under the dim light of the building.

He wore school uiform, and wielded a _katana_—Japanese traditional sword—on his hand.

"You loathsome creatures, filthy rats," he spat, "What are you doing in this sacred place?"

"Sacred place, you say?" Mitsuhide giggled, "This—is our place to exorcise the foolish and the corrupt from this world, including this woman!"

The young man bit his lip in disgust, "This is why I hate to demolish all of you who came down here…to soil Hideyoshi-sama's sacred ground."

He sheathed his sword, then pinned the blade to the ground—exclaimed loudly.

"This is the sacred ground of Toyotomi!" he roared, "How dare you to flith its name by calling this a good place to dispose bodies!"

"Young boy, don't you know? This place is already _dead_. And everyone can see it—this place is infamous for its holy purpose," Mitsuhide replied—much to the man's anger.

"Then, you shall pay," he gritted his teeth, "You shall pay for your disrespect!"

In less than a second, three of Mitsuhide's henchmen were screaming in agony—their neck, wrists, and ankles were decapitated.

"KILL HIM!" Mitsuhide ordered his men to attack—but the young man's movements were too fast for a normal human.

He easily evaded their attacks, launched brutal strikes to their skulls and necks.

The entire room was soaked in blood.

In a disturbing manner—Mitsuhide laughed, then pointed a gun to the man.

A bullet was shot, followed by Oichi's hysterical scream.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 15<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_13:46 PM_

* * *

><p>Saika drove her car like crazy.<p>

While monitoring the incoming informations from her agents and Hojo's informants, she hit the gas without any pause.

"Almost there…" she muttered—looking at the GPS map on her cellphone, she almost reached the location of Oichi and her kidnappers.

Suddenly, one of her informants was calling—and she responded without any hesitation.

"What is it?" she replied.

"_Boss, this…this is unbelievable."_

Caught an unusual tone in the informant's voice—Saika realized something has happened, "What is it? Did the hostage was murdered?"

"_N—no…we just got an uninvited guest. Th—this is…"_

"Who is it? The Oda remnants? Or the third party?" Saika stopped her car on the spot—making a loud, screeching sound of the tires' frictions.

"…_we'll send you a video recording. This is too hard for us to explain with words."_

She looked at her cell, and few seconds later, a video was sent.

Saika opened the file—and witnessed a figure of young man mercilessly killed the Akechi's gang with a sword.

She covered her mouth, shocked for a moment—but after she regained her composure, she made a call to Ieyasu.

"Tokugawa, another news!" she shouted, "A third party was entering the ground!"

"_Third party? Is the Odas?" _Ieyasu's voice was loud—unable to hide his anxiety.

"No, it's not. It's another one," said Saika, "And he has nothing to do with this kidnapping incident, probably. He's a young blood—around 17 or 18 years old. He is currently slaughtering all the Akechis on the spot!"

"_Who is that person?"_

She took a breath, "According to our research, it seems he's from the Toyotomi Group. That young man…we're sure he's the Toyotomi's adopted son—and the next heir…"

"_Could it be…? He's…?"_

"_Ishida Mitsunari_. Toyotomi Hideyoshi's adopted child. He was given the title of the next head—right before the entire clan was dissolved, due to Hideyoshi's death," said her, "We don't know what are his intentions to enter the area and interfered with the Akechi—but I'm afraid, if this continues, he may end up slaughtering Oichi-san herself."

Ieyasu immediately hung up—much to Saika's shock.

"Hello—Tokugawa? HELLO? Ah, damn!"

She continued to drive her car—approached the spot, and finally arrived.

Before she entered the building—she contacted the informants to stay clear of the area, and ordered the gun-armed forces to sneak quietly, surrounded the building.

"Don't do anything reckless," she whispered to her men, "Our act depends on the situation. For now, we'll just wait here and watch."

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, 15<em>_th__ April 20XX_

_13:49 PM_

* * *

><p>A smoke hissed from a gun's muzzle.<p>

Mitsuhide giggled insanely, stared at the unfettered young man.

Slowly, he dropped to his knees—and slammed the ground.

The silver-haired man was faster than him—he shot through Mitsuhide's chest with a gun.

The young man put a gun on his left hand to a holster on his left thigh—and sheathed his _katana_.

He looked around the room—making sure too kill everything on his sight.

Oichi trembled on the floor—watching the man in horror.

He then approached her, coldly stared at the woman's deep black eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he spoke—with icy tone, "You don't belong here. Now, begone."

He rose his sword—made Oichi shrieked, but then he cut off the rope that ties the girl, instead of slicing her neck.

"Yami-iro-san…" she whispered, "Why are you doing this?"

The man silently walked to a corner of the room, and placed a bouquet of flowers.

"I've told you," he muttered, "This is a sacred of the Toyotomi. I came here to protect this place. I didn't do that for you."

Oichi stood, and approached the man slowly—touched his face, and found a glimpse of loneliness in his eyes.

"Are you lonely?" she asked, "Ichi is lonely too. It makes us the same."

He shoved her hands off, and glared sharply at the girl's eyes, "It matters not. I told you to go away—now, move. Don't you dare to step your feet back here again."

Suddenly, a massive noise infiltrated the entire building.

The door opened—Ieyasu, Saika, Fuuma, and Tsuruhime rushed in.

"OICHI-DONO!" Ieyasu shouted, and let out a sigh of relief after finding the woman was safe.

"You're…Ishida-san?" Saika asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Why there's so many people coming here…just to soil this place. I'm the one who should've asked you that question in the first place," he replied—coldly.

Tsuruhime gasped, "Y—You're Ishida-san, my _senpai _at school, right?"

Mitsunari was also surprised a bit with Tsuruhime's presence, "_You_ again? And why are you here, too?"

The short-haired girl approached Oichi, and hugged her, "I was worried about Oichi-chan! She was kidnapped by those bad guys and she's almost killed here!"

Ieyasu bowed to Mitsunari gratefully, "We have to thank you for rescuing Oichi-dono today. She was kidnapped by the Akechi, and was taken here. Without your help, we don't know what would have happened to her."

"Save your gratitudes," Mitsunari rejected him—his eyes fixed at the bouquet lying on the floor—amongst the bloody bodies of the carnage earlier, "I just want them to have a peaceful rest, yet you people barged in and ruined everything…"

Saika stared at the young man—somewhat with a melancholy gaze, "You mean—Toyotomi Hideyoshi-san…and Takenaka Hanbei-san?"

"I see…" Ieyasu muttered sadly, "This is their final resting place—but the people were using this as a spot to dispose murdered bodies…what a terrible deed."

Tsuruhime closed her mouth with her hands, almost cried.

"What should we do about these bodies?" Saika asked—looked disgusted at the Mitsuhide's corpse.

"We should clean this place up," Ieyasu replied, "I'll leave the bodies' disposal to you, Saika-san. Please, don't dispose those filthy bodies here, just…leave this place clean and sacred."

Ieyasu's words lit a shine on Mitsunari's eyes—that fixed at him intently.

"Yami-iro-san," Oichi spoke softly at him, "Why don't you be friends with us?"

Mitsunari shook his head in disbelief, "Friends? Don't be stupid. I have no interest in you all. I just want to dedicate my life for the Toyotomi. To hell with you."

"Ishida-san, right?" Ieyasu approached him, "Are you serious, saying that? I mean, instead of keeping this by yourself, why don't you try to restore the Toyotomi's power once again?"

"True," Saika added, "By making alliance with other companies, you can revive the Toyotomi. And this person—Tokugawa Ieyasu—is the _sandaime_, the third head of the Tokugawa Group. By allying with him, you could rebuild the Toyotomi—step by step."

Mitsunari was silenced—and stared at the young woman, who smiled a little.

A faint and kindest of smiles he ever saw.

"I'll think about it," he replied—somewhat in a gentle voice, "And I have to thank you too, for keeping this place at peace."

He bowed down—then took his leave. Slowly, but calmly.

While her men were busy, Saika grabbed Ieyasu's arms and whispered to his ears, "With this, I want you to give us a raise. Maybe…around 5,000,000? That includes the disposal and covering this from the media."

Ieyasu laughed bitterly, then nodded, "Yes, Ma'am…"

"You see, Tsuru-san, Oichi-san," said Saika, "You've seen this horrible incident. You see, we're not that 'clean people' as well. Neither it is I, or Tokugawa—we are just the same with those scoundrels. We did this secret feuds among ourselves—the underground society. You should be prepared—because this is what we face everyday, every minute in our lives, every breath we take in our lives. That is why we call ourselves the _yakuza_."

Fuuma stared at the whole party stoically, without saying a word.

Tsuruhime gulped, "Yes, I know."

"You cannot hope for a peaceful life once you have entered this life as one of us," Ieyasu added, "Are you fine with this, Oichi-dono?"

Oichi shook her head, "Ichi is fine…Ichi will follow you, wherever you go."

"Oichi-chan…" Tsuruhime grabbed her hands, "But, you'll be facing these dangerous incidents everytime!"

"Ichi is fine, Shiroi-tori-san," she smiled—genuinely, "Ichi is fine, as long as Ichi can be friends with you…with Hikari-iro-san… Ichi just don't want to be alone anymore."

"Then, it's settled," Ieyasu exclaimed, "From this day forth, Oichi-dono—you'll be entering _the alliance_, as one of us!"

Oichi giggled—while her face blushed in soft peach color, "I wonder, will Yami-iro-san be our friend as well? The more, the merrier…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Is it truly my sin?<strong>_

_**Is it truly my fault at hand?**_

_**That may be true, but then I finally found out.**_

_**I found out that these wounds on my heart are not that eternal.**_

_**I know, they will heal—as the time goes by.**_

_**When the time has come, I shall wear these unerasable scars proudly,**_

_**And shout to the world:**_

_**"I am not alone anymore."**_


	4. Premonition

_**I like the Sun.**_

_**He always warm and kind, and his gentle rays shines upon me so dearly.**_

_**I also like the Moon.**_

_**His soft, silvery light gives me peace and tranquility.**_

_**However, I do realized,**_

_**That the Moon cannot be in the same sky, shine along with the Sun.  
><strong>_

_**Why?**_

_**Why can't you be together?**_

_**Why can't you try to get along?**_

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, <em>_18__th__ April 20XX_

_1__8__:__29__ PM_

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon, when a vehicle's sound being parked outside of the Tokugawa's manor. Two men stepped out of the car—a slender, white-haired young man and a bandaged creepy guy. The bandaged one was sitting on an automatic wheelchair, and the younger man wore a high-school uniform.<p>

"Is this it—the one you were talking about, Mitsunari?" the handicapped man asked, replied by a simple nod from the other.

"I don't know what are you thinking, Gyoubu. But, this is just not my style," the white-haired young man gritted his teeth, "I dislike to let others involve themselves in our very own problem."

"Let's just…get down to business, shall we?" the wheelchair man pacified the younger man's protests.

Despite Mitsunari's reluctance, they entered the main hall of the mansion.

"Please wait for Ieyasu-sama," asked a maid, politely.

The two men exchanged their glances.

"Gyoubu—I'm against this," whispered the white-haired young man, "I'm not into that damn _Alliance_…"

"Mitsunari, dear. Just let me handle this thing. Trust me, you won't be sorry for this."

The younger man pouted his lips—unable to argue. Few minutes later, a young man—dressed in gold _kimono_ appeared. Upon seeing the guests, he smiled widely and greeted them.

"Ah, if it isn't Ishida-san!" he exclaimed—cheerfully, "What brings you here?"

"Are you Tokugawa-dono?" the handicapped man greeted, "Do you still remember me? I am Ootani Yoshitsugu—the former Toyotomi vice advisor."

"Oh! Are you—Gyoubu? It really is you! How are you doing? It's been a very long time!" Ieyasu cheered.

Seeing the young master's reaction to his friend, Mitsunari seemed a bit annoyed.

"What? You two have known each other?" the white-haired man asked.

"Yes. He was an employer of the Toyotomi nine years ago. He was used to be one of us. You can't remember, Mitsunari?" said Ootani—somewhat perplexed.

"Wait, what—he used to be our _employer_?!" Mitsunari jolted at Ootani's words.

"Well, yes. Until I quit to start my own venture. I used to pick you up from your elementary school back then. Don't you remember?" Ieyasu smiled a bit, reminiscing his days back then.

Mitsunari thought hard, "I can't remember. Everything seems…different. Since Hideyoshi-sama's death…"

"Oh," the young master stunned—after watching the younger man's expression turned dark, "I'm really sorry to bring that up…"

"Anyways, Tokugawa-dono—I'm here as Mitsunari's spokeperson. You know, he's not good with words," said Ootani.

"Oh, yeah. Please continue, Gyoubu."

"We're here to discuss about joining the _Alliance_," the bandaged man spoke, "In this condition, we—the remnants of the Toyotomi Group would face many problems in the way to our revival."

Ieyasu's expression turned serious, "Yes, I know. In your recent condition, you cannot make any move at all. May I ask you about your financial status right now?"

"Our financial condition is stable. We don't have to worry about that," Ootani replied, "The problem is, we don't have any enough assets or such to empower us for now. And another thing, some of _those_ are still searching for us—lurking under the shadows, hunting the remnants of the Toyotomi. The ones with personal grudges for us…"

"I see," Ieyasu nodded, "So, what can I do for you—to solve those problems?"

"We offer ourselves to join the _Alliance_, Tokugawa," Ootani said, "We need an urgent help from it."

After the words were said, Mitsunari kept silent—pouting his lips. Deep within his heart, he strongly objects Ootani's decision. However, the situation leave him no more options but to follow the advisor's choice.

"I would gladly accept that proposal," Ieyasu replied, "However, we need an agreement from the group's head—if you offer us to join. I knew about Toyotomi Hideyoshi-dono's story…so—do you have the new head?"

Ootani stared at Mitsunari—and the latter shook his head in disgust.

"He is," said Ootani, "_Ishida Mitsunari here is the new head_. We have crowned him as the next heir."

Ieyasu startled—and asked in surprise, "B—but, he is still a student! Are you sure to take that high and harsh responsibility for yourself?"

"In the name only," the white-haired man answered, "For now, the clan is under Gyoubu's command. I don't really care about taking control of the company. I just want to continue Toyotomi's revival as soon as possible. After I graduated from school, I shall take full responsibility as the next head."

"So, Mitsunari," Ootani smirked, "We just need your agreement and the job here is done."

Suddenly, Mitsunari stood up—enraged, "NO! I don't want to make the Toyotomi bow down under that damn _Alliance_'s feet! Where's your pride as one of the group, Gyoubu?! We—the Toyotomi Clan—was the _Oda_'s biggest rival! How could you let our pride being trampled under the other families!"

"Please, calm down," Ieyasu stammered, "In the _Alliance_, there's no one being under or above other's position. We are all equals here. As the part of the _Alliance_, we all face one's problems together, and we are here to help each other."

"It's just like a club, Mitsunari," Ootani added, "It's a club without a president. Everyone's just the same."

Mitsunari bit his lip—still unsatisfied with the explanation. His pride is too high to keep his composure controlled. Ootani looked at the young man's intense gaze, feeling anxious about the ticking time bomb—ready to be blown in another second.

"Actually," Ieyasu raised his eyebrows, "There's one of us who gave the same objection as you."

Ootani smirked—interested in Ieyasu's statement, "Who is that, Tokugawa?"

"You remember that large _yakuza _family from the Northern Japan? The ones who came from Miyagi?"

"Oh. Those people—_The Date Family_?" asked Ootani.

"Yes. The current head—Date Masamune—is a young leader like Ishida-dono too. He was against the idea of joining the _Alliance _at first, but his advisor—yeah, I know this is funny—the advisor of his _forced_ him to sign the agreement contract…"

"Interesting story, Tokugawa," the bandaged man smirked, "Are you sure about that? About there's no upper and lower classes in the so-called _Alliance_?"

"If there is, the Date family wouldn't hang to us until today," Ieyasu said—gazed at Ootani sharply, "You'll see."

"It's true. I can trust your words. The Date are infamous wild horses, especially their hot-blooded young leader. There's nothing I can say anymore," Ootani nodded.

Mitsunari was silenced by Ieyasu's words, until finally he regained his composure.

"Fine. I'll follow your advice, Gyoubu," he mumbled, "However, I'm not planning to rely on this _Alliance _too much…"

"It's okay, Ishida-dono," the young master smiled widely, "We are very glad to have you join the _Alliance_!"

Ootani and Ieyasu talked, opening their warm welcome to each other. Mitsunari gritted his teeth in silence, still unable to let go of his pride. He looked at Ieyasu's face, and suddenly a weird sensation creeped through his spine.

He just felt that there's something off about the Tokugawa's young master, but he cannot explain what and why to himself about it.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, <em>_19__th__ April 20XX_

_20:__32__ PM_

* * *

><p>After a long talk, Mitsunari and his advisor took their leave. Just for a brief seconds before their departure, Mitsunari stared at Ieyasu's eyes. There was a peculiar glint on the white-haired man's gaze. Ieyasu can't help but feeling strange after being stared at.<p>

"Is there anything wrong, Ishida-san?" Ieyasu asked carefully, afraid of the young man's short and explosive temper.

Mitsunari left a huff, "No, it's nothing."

Then, a black sedan came to pick both Mitsunari and Ootani. The two men entered the vehicle, without much words spoken. Ootani let out a smile, and waved to Ieyasu.

"Until we meet again, Tokugawa," he said.

"Yeah. Have a safe trip," Ieyasu replied, waved back at them.

The white-haired young lad gazed once again to Ieyasu, with his pair of hazel eyes. Their cold stares pierced deep inside Ieyasu's core, leaving a numb sensation on his heart. There's something wrong, he thought to himself.

_ There's something wrong with Mitsunari._

The car moved, leaving the Tokugawa manor along with flying dust through the air. Ieyasu's thoughts wandered, his heart still feeling a bit weird from Mitsunari's actions earlier. In the same time, a strange sensation came up to him. He felt his pulse tightening, and his chest heavy.

"Hikari-iro-san, are you hurt?"

Ieyasu gasped in shock, finding a slim—slender, black-haired woman behind him. Oichi stood, wearing a sliky-white nightgown. The feeble-looking girl looked at him, worried.

"N—no, I'm fine," Ieyasu stuttered, "Gosh, Oichi-dono! You scared me!"

"Do you dislike Yami-iro-san being your friend?" Oichi asked, her eyes glistened in a sad glow. Her lips pouted in anxiety.

"No, of course not," the young man laughed a little, "I love to make new friends, Oichi-dono. It's just...I felt a chill from Mitsunari's stares. He was like..._mad at me_, but I don't even know why."

Oichi raised her head, gazed straight to the moon—shining dimly on the night's sky. She slowly walked forward, while mumbling softly.

"Ichi expected this," she said, "The Moon and the Sun cannot be together. It's so pitiful...so sad..."

"Oichi-dono?"

The young girl turned her head, looking at Ieyasu's confused face. There was sadness emitted from her face. There was a hesitation radiated from her deep black eyes.

"Tell me, Hikari-iro-san. Why can't the Sun and the Moon shine together, up in the sky above? Why must the Sun shines in the daylight, and the Moon shines at night?"

Her question made Ieyasu flabbergasted. The young master scratched his nose, feeling strange from the girl's intense gaze.

"They can't, Oichi-dono. If the Sun and the Moon are meeting together, there will be eclipse. There will be no morning. There will be no daylight. There will be no night anymore."

Oichi walked closer to Ieyasu, her eyebrows furrowed in sadness. She looked like a little girl who just lost her doll.

"Why?" she whispered, "It's so sad, watching Hikari-iro-san and Yami-iro-san like this. Why can't you get along? Why can't you shine together?"

After seeing Oichi's whimpering, Ieyasu felt a little miserable. He knew that Oichi was worried about him being unable to build a good relationship with Mitsunari. He smiled, and patted Oichi's head gently.

"Don't be so sad, Oichi-dono," he replied, "To be honest, I have a weird feeling about Mitsunari, but it doesn't really matter. We will get along, I promise."

"Please, don't fight..." Oichi muttered, looking down to her feet. Ieyasu shook his head, laughed at her antics. Her childish behavior seemed to be her cutest point, according to Ieyasu.

Oichi sneezed a little, after a light breeze blown through them. The night was getting late.

"Oh, it's getting chilly. C'mon, let's go inside. Do you want some tea to warm yourself?" Ieyasu asked, escorting Oichi to get inside the house. He ordered some servants to prepare hot drinks, and Oichi walked in rather cheerfully than before.

"You look better now," Ieyasu smiled, "Are you happy about Mitsunari's affiliation?"

"Yes, Ichi loves when everyone's becoming friends," the girl smiled softly, "Ichi loves whenever everyone are getting along."

"Ieyasu-sama, forgive me to interfere...but there's a fax message from Saika," a maid appeared, holding several sheets of paper.

Ieyasu took the papers, while Oichi sat down the sofa—taking a sip from her cup of tea. Suddenly, Ieyasu's eyes were widened after reading few sentences from the message. Noticing Ieyasu's change, Oichi tilted her head in curiosity.

"Is there something wrong, Hikari-iro-san?"

"N—no, nothing," Ieyasu mumbled—quickly hiding the papers behind his back, "Anyway, is the tea prepared? I want to have some."

"Yes, please have it," Oichi cheerfully smiled, "Careful, it's hot."

Ieyasu took a sip, trying to calm his bewildered mind. His heart was thumping fast. The news from Saika earlier made quite a shock to his head. It wasn't a good news, judging from the young man's reactions.

Oichi yawned, her head tilted slowly. Her eyelids weighed by drowsiness.

"Have a good night rest, Oichi-dono," Ieyasu told her, "You must be tired."

"But you must be tired too, Hikari-iro-san," she replied, "You are so pale...you're just like Yami-iro-san's face right now. So white..."

Realizing his shock has been noticed by Oichi, Ieyasu stuttered. He shook his head, denying the girl's awareness.

"No, I'm fine—"

"Don't lie to Ichi."

"Just—just go to sleep, Oichi-dono. I'll be fine..." Ieyasu grumbled, massaging his pained forehead. The fatigue after Toyotomi's business and the recent news from Saika doubled the blow on him.

"Ichi won't sleep if Hikari-iro-san is not there," Oichi pouted, "Hikari-iro-san must sleep with Ichi."

Ieyasu choked on his tea, coughing hard after hearing the girl's exclamation. Oichi's idea was too radical to say.

"Oichi-dono," Ieyasu coughed, "Do you realize...the meaning of the words you just said?"

"Ichi knows," Oichi replied—innocently, "Hikari-iro-san must sleep with Ichi now."

Ieyasu stuttered, "Errr...no. I'm sorry, Oichi-dono...but—you know—men cannot sleep with women...if they're not in a...well, _special relationship_..."

"But...Ichi wants to sleep with Hikari-iro-san," Oichi whined. Her look was like a whimpering little puppy. Ieyasu can't resist those cute, whiny eyes.

"Well...I'll just accompany you for a moment. After you've slept, I'll be out, okay?" Ieyasu replied, followed by Oichi's flustered pink blush hanging on her cheeks.

The young man sat on a chair beside Oichi's bed. He took a deep sigh, while Oichi herself hopped to the bed rather happily.

Seeing Oichi—who has been a gloomy and melancholic woman for all these times—became cheerful and a little bit brighter, lifted Ieyasu's heavy mind. Her smiles helped to relieve his exhaustion. He smiled, feels happy to see Oichi's joy.

"Now, you look better, Hikari-iro-san," Oichi giggled, "You're not pale as Yami-iro-san anymore. You're back..."

Ieyasu blushed, "Oichi-dono, please stop teasing me. Now, please have a good night sleep."

The girl took Ieyasu's hand—startled him a little—and squeezed it. Ieyasu felt a big difference of Oichi's grip. Her skin was icy cold back then, but now it's warm. He realized about Oichi's harsh life before he took her in. There was no warmth poured for her. But now, after giving her so much affection and kindness, she changed into someone completely different.

"Hikari-iro-san is so warm," Oichi closed her eyes, "It's like...bathing myself in the sunlight...Ichi feels so happy..."

"It's my honor to have made you happy, Oichi-dono," Ieyasu replied, "Have a sweet dream."

"Hikari-iro-san is happy now...so...Ichi is...happy..."

Slowly, the girl fell to her sleep. She held Ieyasu's hand like a young little girl holding her teddy bear. Ieyasu smiled to see her calm face. Oichi was insisting to have Ieyasu accompany her, trying to relieve Ieyasu's burden from the problems earlier. She succeeded, the young master is now feeling a little better.

However, the dark feelings continues to haunt Ieyasu's mind that night. He tried to hide it from Oichi, who's drifting peacefully in her sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, <em>_20__th__ April 20XX_

_1__6__:__21__ PM_

* * *

><p>Saika and Tsuruhime went to Tokugawa's residence that afternoon. It was windy, but quite warm. Ieyasu and Oichi went for a walk at the garden with the two. Tsuruhime was playing with Oichi, while Saika engaged in a talk with Ieyasu.<p>

"About that fax," Ieyasu started, "Are you serious with it?"

Saika nodded, "Why, are you doubting my information?"

"No, I just can't believe it," Ieyasu shook his head in disbelief, "It's unbelievable."

"But that's the fact, Tokugawa," Saika replied, "It's the truth. Just look at yesterday's afternoon news."

The redheaded woman gave Ieyasu a newspaper. The biggest headline catched Ieyasu's attention in instant. His eyes widened in horror after reading the title.

"_Uesugi Company's main branch has been attacked,_" he spoke, "_by two bombings._"

Saika gave a sharp glare to the man, "Yes. But, we haven't manage to track the one behind it. All that we know is..."

"The fax," Ieyasu replied, "About that death threat to the _Alliance_?"

"Correct. The one who targeted the _Alliance_. He knows accurately about Uesugi's involvements as a member...and he _can _cripple Uesugi—one of the strongest member in our _Alliance_...this enemy is not an ordinary person."

"Anyway, how about Uesugi's condition?" Ieyasu asked—worried.

"Yesterday, I heard that the Takeda helped to cover the damages caused by the bombings, so they'll be safe for now. I just hope that no more attacks launched to us..."

"He wants to throw more chaos into us, right?" Ieyasu clenched his fist, "That bastard...how could he..."

"We can't move now, Tokugawa, since we don't have any clue to the crook. My men and Hojo's agents are still tracking for his trails. All we can do now is just wait for the information coming from them," Saika sighed.

"Shiroi-tori-san...there's a little, wriggly caterpillar on your back..." Oichi slowly pointed at Tsuruhime's back, causing the latter screamed hysterically.

"W—WHAT?! NO! NOOO! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF ME!" Tsuruhime jumped in fear, while Oichi took away the caterpillar with a deadpan look on her face.

Watching the two girls' carefree attitude, Ieyasu and Saika snorted a little. They had forgotten about the dark tense of menace they were talking earlier.

"Anyway, Tokugawa—are you sure about this?" Saika asked, "Letting her join the group, and letting her being involved with these stuffs? It's just a nuisance, you know."

"You mean Oichi-dono?" Ieyasu stared at the young girl, who's playing innocently at the garden. The wind blew through the trees, sending the leaves floating around the air.

"Yes," he replied, with a confident smile on his lips, "It doesn't matter, as long as she's happy. And besides, I want to protect her from the Odas. I don't want her to live such a harsh life again."

"...I see."

Saika can't help but smile too. She sported a genuine, sincere smile on her face. For once, she felt an indescribable warmth flowing inside her chest. No matter how stern and cold she can be, Saika also quietly wishes for Oichi's happiness.

The two adults continued their afternoon walk among the garden, watching the two young girls playing around cheerfully.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, <em>_20__th__ April 20XX_

_1__6__:__38__ PM_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, a young lad with fiery brown hair rushed at a doorway of another huge mansion. He practically runs through a stair, jumped forward with lightning speed. He wore a school uniform, showing that he's still a highschool student.<p>

"OYAKATA-SAMAAA!" he screamed, with a panic look on his face, "I HEARD FROM SASUKE THAT UESUGI HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN!"

A huge old man, with a beard on his face, sat on the _tatami_ floor. He sat on a lotus position. Hearing all the commotion, he stood and walked slowly towards the young man.

"OYAKATA-SAMAAAA—"

"DON'T YOU DARE DISTURB MY MEDITATION, YOUNG 'UN!" the old man suddenly threw his punch to the young man's face—so hard, the lad bounced out the room.

"GUOOOOOHHHH!"

The big old man walked closer to the young man—writhing on the floor, his gigantic punch fumes thin smokes. Takeda Shingen—the head of Takeda Family—crouched to see his pupil's face.

"I've heard about _that_ yesterday, Yukimura," the big man spoke, in dignified tone, "I already sent some help to Uesugi last night. The damages will be repaired in no time."

The young man—Sanada Yukimura—jumped from the floor, then bowed to his master.

"P—please forgive my intrusion, Oyakata-sama! And forgive my tardiness as well!" he exclaimed, feeling embarrassed.

"Don't worry, young blood," the old man laughed, "It's good to see your quick reaction when you're exposed to this kind of situation."

"Sir, did they find the culprit?" Yukimura asked, "The ones who did the bombings?"

"The _Alliance _have sent their agents to track down him," Shingen replied, "But to no avail, until now."

"The Hojos and even the famous Saikas could not find his tail in this matter of time, the culprit must be a very cunning person," Yukimura murmured.

"Yes, indeed. We should give the tracking agents another hand to find the culprit. Where is Sasuke?" Shingen asked, then another young man appeared from behind Yukimura's back.

"Sarutobi Sasuke is here, Oyakata-sama," said the redheaded man, with his usual grin on his lips, "Ready to report."

"Waaah! Sasuke, you scared me!" Yukimura shrieked, surprised by Sasuke's sudden appearance.

"Give the _Alliance_'s intel agents some backup. Bring three or four people with you," Shingen ordered the young spy, followed with a slight nod from the latter.

"As you wish, Milord."

The _ninja _quickly disappeared, and Shingen's expression turned more darkly serious. Yukimura gulped to see his master's change.

"I didn't expect this to happen..." Shingen grumbled, "For the _Alliance _being attacked so easily by an unknown party...we just got ourselves involved in a big trouble."

"H—how big the trouble is, Oyakata-sama?" Yukimura asked, his heart filled with anxiety, after witnessing Shingen's drastic expression.

"I can't say for sure, Yukimura. However, this bad feeling is starting to trouble me..." the gigantic old man muttered, stroking his chin.

"Is there...anything I can do to help?" the young man stared sharply at his master. A flame burned on his eyes, sparking his unspoken passion.

The master let out a little smile, then ruffled Yukimura's hair.

"For now, no. I'll tell you when the time has come," Shingen grinned, "Oh, yes. That reminds me..._he_'s coming back from America tonight."

"Who?" Yukimura tilted his head, curious with the person Shingen is talking about.

"The _Alliance _are holding a big meeting tomorrow, to discuss about the threat launched to the Uesugi yesterday. He's flying right from America to attend the meeting tomorrow," the old man said, "That man...that brazen, cocky young lord..."

"Y—you mean—"

"_The One-Eyed Dragon,_" Shingen said, "_Date Masamune_."

Upon hearing the name, Yukimura's eyes widened. A flame fiercely burned within his chest, fastened his heartbeats a little too fast. An excited grin flashed, along with a passion shown vividly on his face.

"As I thought, you'll be excited when you hear this," Shingen chuckled in amusement, "You can come along to the meeting tomorrow, if you want."

"I—I deeply grateful for your kindness, Milord!" Yukimura bowed respectfully, unable to hide his excitement. Even his voice was shaking.

"Seeing your youthful zest, it really reminds me of my own past," Shingen murmured nostalgically, "When I was young...very young, very naive..."

Yukimura raised his head, stared to Shingen's melancholic expression. He was confused with his master's words.

"That Takechiyo too," the old man spoke grimly, "He's so wide-eyed. He believed that the _Alliance_—the bonds, will keep us strong and united. He strongly believed in such a deceiving power..."

"Sir?" Yukimura asked, "What do you mean?"

Shingen turned his sharp glare to Yukimura. The glints from his eyes were enough to tell Yukimura a warning. A _serious warning_.

"Listen to me, Yukimura," he snarled, "_Bonds_ are very tricky forces. Tokugawa Ieyasu—the founder of the _Alliance_—is a good idealist. However, he didn't realize his fatal flaw. He strongly believed that the _Alliance _will keep us strong, hinders us from various problems, and such. However, have he thought to himself, _that the joining parties are really devoted to keep the Alliance's oath_?"

Yukimura gulped upon hearing his master's stern words.

"_Have he thought that the joining parties would not stabbing each other's backs_?"

The old man slowly walked to the _tatami_ floor, took a sit in a lotus position. He let out a small sigh, unable to mask his anxiety.

"It is true, that united we stand...however, when we are bound into a single, large family, we are an easy target for anyone who wants our downfall. We are a big target that is easy to aim at. Despite the _Alliance_'s solid, sturdy fortitude...it hides the fact that it's just a fragile, weak body. Remember this, Yukimura. Do not ever let such a passion blinds you."

The young man watched in silence, as his master closed his eyes to continue the meditation.

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, <em>_20__th__ April 20XX_

_21__:__04__ PM_

* * *

><p>At Narita International Airport, a gallant young man walked through the arrival hall. He wore blue jacket, and ragged blue jeans. His right eye was covered with an eyepatch, adding more fierceness on his already vicious look. He whistled casually, after reading a text message displayed on his cellphone's screen.<p>

"Guess what, Kojuuro? We got another surprise _party_."

A tall, hefty man following behind him furrowed his eyebrows in wonder. A big scar was visible on the man's cheek.

"What is it, Sir?"

The one-eyed young man showed his cellphone, displaying a big texts on its white screen.

_**Sender: Saika Magoichi**_

_**Another bomb has been exploded at Hojo's cigarette factory. **_

_**It exploded at the supply storehouse, but the damage was minor.**_

_**Please be careful in your way, for there another attack will be launched—probably.**_

_**And don't forget to attend the meeting **__**on time**__** tomorrow.**_

"That sonuva bitch needs to be damned," the blue-clad man chuckled in amusement, "Just look at the warm welcome we got here, Kojuuro! Sounds fun, isn't it?"

"This is not a matter to be laughed at, Sir," the scarred tall man scowled, "Please try to be serious."

"Look, now. Don't you understand what I'm saying?" the one-eyed man grinned, "When I regard something as _fun_, it means I'm _serious_—got it?"

"You're right. Please, pardon me," the follower held himself back, "But I beg your attention, please don't be too reckless, Milord."

The young man stretched his arms, let out a grunt.

"Aaaaah, too bad we hafta go back here. I'm starting to like US...I'm gonna miss America," he grumbled—then grinned in excitement, "However, living in peace bores me more. I like this chaos thrown in here. Heheheh."

"Shall we move now, Masamune-sama?" the scarred man bowed, his gaze shows a vibrant zest, rivaling his master's passion. He is more than ready to face the challenge—all for the sake of his young master.

The One-Eyed Dragon revealed his fangs within a wide grin across his face.

"Yeah. _Let's party_."

* * *

><p><em>Tokyo, <em>_20__th__ April 20XX_

_21__:__04__ PM_

* * *

><p>Oichi suddenly woke up. She fell asleep on the couch, sitting beside Ieyasu. Her body jumped a little, startled Ieyasu for her sudden reaction.<p>

"Gosh, Oichi-dono! What is it?" he asked, quite surprised by the girl's antics.

Oichi stared blankly at the empty space. Her onyx eyes glimmered softly.

"...ssssh. Can you hear it?"

Ieyasu raised his eyebrows, completely confused by her words.

"I can hear a thunder roar. It's getting near..."

"What do you mean, Oichi-dono? I didn't hear anything."

The black-haired woman sported an enigmatic smile on her lips, her eyes narrowed in curiosity. She giggled in joy upon realizing what the sound was.

"...or is it...the roar of the _Dragon_? Ichi can't wait to know...hee hee..."

* * *

><p><em><strong>I can feel the burning heat from the distance.<strong>_

_**I can hear the thundering storm from the horizon.  
><strong>_

_**Listen, the shattering cries of the Tiger and the Dragon.**_

_**Ah, how wonderful it could be.**_

_**Everyone is here, here at last.**_

_**The more, the merrier.**_

_**Now, let's try to get along, hmm?**_


End file.
